IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Penn State baseball team (13-20) split Saturday's doubleheader by taking the series finale 5-4 in Iowa City. It was Penn State's first win in Iowa City since 2012.
Cole Bartels played the hero as he threw out the potential tying run out at the plate with two outs in the ninth to seal the win in game two.
The Nittany Lions fell 5-3 in game one of the doubleheader.
How it Happened
Game 1
The Nittany Lions looked to be the early aggressors, tallying a pair of singles by Matt Wood and Johnny Piacentino. A strikeout ended the Nittany Lions scoring chance in the top of the first.
Penn State had two more singles in the top of the second, putting runners on first and second with two outs. A flyout to right field ended another scoring opportunity for Penn State.
In the bottom of the second, the Hawkeyes had the first three batters reach. Back-to-back singles scored a pair of runs for Iowa. A double play allowed for one more run to score and give the Hawkeyes a 3-0 lead after two full innings.
Starter Conor Larking settled in and put up a pair of zeros to bring Penn State to the plate trailing 3-0 going into the fifth. Jay Harry led off the inning with a hit by pitch. He advanced to second on a wild pitch. A pair of outs brought Justin Williams to the plate. Williams laced a single to left field to score Harry and cut the lead to 3-1.
The Hawkeyes got a run back in the bottom of the fifth and pushed the lead to 4-1. Iowa scored another run the sixth to take a 5-1 lead.
Penn State had the tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh as Harry, Wood and Williams all walked. A flyout to center ended the inning as Penn State attempted to cut into the lead.
In the eighth, Tayven Kelley opened the inning with a double down the right field line. Curtis Robison followed with a double and the Nittany Lions had a prime scoring opportunity. Parker Hendershot came up with a clutch two-RBI single to score Robison and Kelley and cut the lead to 5-3.
Jared Freilich tossed a scoreless eighth as the Nittany Lions would need two runs to tie the game in the ninth. The Nittany Lions went in order in the ninth and the Hawkeyes took game two of the series.
Game 2
The Nittany Lions were the beneficiaries of an error by the Iowa centerfielder that allowed Curtis Robison to reach safely in the top of the second. Robison ended up on second and the Hawkeyes centerfielder dropped a fly ball that went all the way to the warning track.
Cole Bartels singled home Robison as the Nittany Lions took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the frame.
Starter Kyle Virbitsky continued his consistent season, keeping the Hawkeyes scoreless through four full innings.
Robison led off the top of the fifth with a double to right center. Hendershot laced a single up the middle and Robison scored on a wild throw to the plate.
Virbitsky would keep the lead at 2-0 as he went six scoreless innings in his start.
The final line for Virbitsky read: 6 IP, 1 H, 8 Ks, 0 ER
The Nittany Lions added a run in the seventh. Piacentino singled and Robison was hit by a pitch to begin the inning. Hendershot sacrificed Piacentino to third and Robison to second with a bunt.
Tremendous situational hitting by Bartels as he lifted a sac fly to right field to score Piacentino and give Penn State a 3-0 lead
Mason Mellott came on in relief of Virbitsky and struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
The game entered a lighting delay in the top of the eighth after the Nittany Lions had runners on the corners.
After almost and hour delay, Piacentino doubled home two and gave Penn State a 5-0 lead.
The Hawkeyes plated their first run of the game in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 5-1.
After a quiet top of the ninth. The Hawkeyes were down four in the bottom of the frame. Iowa put runners on the corners with two outs in the inning. A balk by Logan Evans allowed the first run of the frame.
A single and a walk loaded the bases for Iowa. A bases loaded walk forced in a run and put the tying run on second.
The next batter singled to left field and scored the runner from third, Bartels fielded the ball in the outfield and threw a strike to throw out the tying run trying to score and the Nittany Lions held on for a 5-4 win.
Up Next
Penn State will host Minnesota and Rutgers in the pod weekend in Happy Valley beginning on Friday, May 14.